Sod ditch check



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR s. E.. cAPPs SOD DITCH CHECK Filed Nov. 4, 193s /WWE 4%', man" Feb. 12, 1935.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 1 2, 1935. S. E. CAPPS SOD DITCH CHECK Filed Nov. 4, 1953 WITNESS Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to checks to prevent the walls of a ditch from washing and has for the primary object the provision of a novel construction or arrangement of sod strips positioned transversely of or at spaced intervals of a ditch to check the flow of the water through the ditch and thereby preventing washing or wearing away of the walls of the ditch.

With these and other objects in View this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed. Y

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a ditch with checks arranged therein and constructedV in accordance with my invention. Y

Figure 2 is a plan View illustrating one of the checks.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2 illustrating the ditch with the check arranged therein.

Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating a check constructed upon a large scale and comprising a series of strips of sod.

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Referring in detail to the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a ditch for the purpose of draining surface water and commonly formed by digging a trench in the earth. Ditches of this character due to the softness of the earth will readily wear away by the flow of water and to obviate the wearing thereof I have devised an inexpensive and simple device consisting of a series of checks 2 arranged at spaced intervals within the ditch for the purpose of retarding the flow of water and thereby back up the force of water acting against the walls of the ditch. Each check is similarly constructed and is made from sod cut in strip formation, as shown at 3, wherein one side of the strip is of a greater length than the opposite side. The ditch is re- (Class 61-3) cessed to receive the strip 3, the latter extending transversely of the ditch with the longest side of the strip 3 disposed on the upside stream of the ditch and slightly inclined to be disposed in a plane below the opposite side edge to prevent the water from washing under the strip 3 and to more readily direct the water to flow over the strip of sod. The shortest side of the strip of sod is disposed down stream. The growth upon the strips will act to check or retard the ilow of water and to give a clear illustration of how the strip 3 is seated in the recess of the ditch attention is invited to figures 1 and 3 of the oilicial drawings.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5 the check is constructed of the same material as the check heretofore described. However, the ditch is illustrated as having walls disposed at diiferent inclinations to each other requiring a larger size of check and which is clearly shown in Figure 4. It is preferable that this check be constructed from a series of sod strips, the edges of which overlap, as shown in Figure 6, that is, the edges of the strips are cut at inclinations to lap with one another.

Checks constructed and applied to the ditch as heretofore set forth will effectively retard the flow of water sufficiently to prevent washing of the Walls of the ditch and these checks may be easily and economically constructed and will last over indefinite periods of time.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as claimed.

Having described the invention, I claim:

In combination with a dirt formation having a ditch provided at spaced intervals with transversely arranged recesses, and a plurality of strips of sod arranged in said recesses to provide checks, each of said strips having one side of a greater length than the opposite side with the longer side arranged upstream of the ditch' and disposed on a plane slightly below the bottom surface of the ditch.

SIDNEY E. CAPPS. 

